Indie Visual Novel Removed From Xbox Live Due to "Inappropriate" Visual Cues

By Ishaan . August 23, 2009 . 2:00pm

Indie Visual Novel Removed From Xbox Live Due to "Inappropriate" Visual CuesSoredemo, Watashi wa Aishiteiru (Even So, I Love You) is an indie visual novel that was released on Xbox Live as part of the community games initiative a few weeks ago. It is no longer being distributed as a result of content deemed inappropriate by Microsoft Europe, Canned Dogs reports.

 

According to a blog post by the game’s author, the following visual cues were the cause of the problem:

 

1. A girl’s hand being restrained
2. The girl being pushed down at the same time
3. Her underwear were being exposed

 

Apparently, these visual cues were deemed inappropriate because they would “remind players of sexual violence.” Keep in mind that no actual act of sexual harassment was committed.

 

What’s odd, though, is that it was Microsoft Europe that got in touch with the developer in order to address the issue, which would imply that Microsoft were concerned about the game’s perception in Western territories. Understandably, the developer asked if it would be OK for distribution of the game to continue in Japan while he adjusted the content for other territories, but was threatened with account suspension.

 

What is concerning about this is that it seems like cultural differences are no longer going to be taken into account while dealing with censorship. Having to comply with the content regulations of every region in the same game build is absurd. It’s also hypocrisy. You don’t see the U.S. version of Gears of War being toned down in violence just because someone in Germany deems it inappropriate.


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  • http://anosou.blogspot.com/ Anosou

    Makes me quite mad. The last sentence summed it up.

  • constraint

    Eh, it's like nobody plays these games.

  • Aoshi00

    I knew it was something like that, under the content rating I remember it was rated “3/3 for sex” even though I suspect it wouldn't be any racier. I d/led the demo, played it and liked it, then decided to get the full game later for 250 points, and it was no longer available on either the Jpn or US marketplace. What am I going to get now, the boring shooter Crescendo Symphony? I'm also wondering where the Zelda-like RPG was, that was taken off too, that shouldn't have any inappropriate material right?

    Well, forget them, I'll play Shadow Complex now.. Woe for the developer.

    Also what's funny is that there's a video on Jpn xbox live where they're introducing the Indie games, and you could see “Sore demo” in it.

  • Aoshi00

    The worse ramification is we probably won't be getting any more short visual novels thru Xbox Live, since visual novels/dating sims in nature are somewhat suggestive. The disclaimer says these indie games are not rated right? Well, they should be rated and only blocked from accounts set w/ higher parental ratings.

  • http://www.myanimelist.net/profile/Hraesvelgr Hraesvelgr

    Oh yeah, I saw this a while back and thought about trying it… then when I went to download it, it wasn't there anymore. Nice to finally know what happened to it, even if it is stupid.

  • oliemoon

    Kudos to Microsoft Europe. I think they did the right thing. I'm perfectly fine with limiting access to the kind of imagery that perpetuates rape culture.

  • Advent_Andaryu

    So it's fine for content like this in anime but not in games? Games get judged so easily… But no one cares what kind of crazy anime comes out.

    I see nothing wrong with any of it. I mean, couldn't they have just made the ESRB rating higher? Just because there is stuff there that is not for kids doesn't mean we are all kids. They didn't have to take it off due to inappropriate content. Maybe they should play the games they put on their network if they have problems like this.

  • Aoshi00

    I remember if I read correctly the disclaimer says 360 indie games are not rated?

    Yes, it is pretty silly, decapitation or whatnot is fair game in anime/hollywood movies, but in Japan Leon's head being lobbed off by chainsaw was cut in RE4. There's still the connotation that games are for kids.. What's ironic is isn't Europe supposed to be even more open than the US? Well, videogames are always the convenient scapegoats, killers and sexual predators are all bred by games, sigh..

  • Strike_Man

    I do enjoy a slight bit of irony from the fact that far racier content is available on the XBL video marketplace, compared to anything the community games section has put up thus far.

  • Divals

    Wow, that's stupid.

    I guess I'd be a little more pissed if this was on PS3, since I don't own a 360, but that's still an annoying and worrisome precedent.

  • Nika

    I almost expected something like this, whether from Europe or the US doesn't matter. There was bound to be someone to bring up that these games are inappropriate, encourage sexual violence or whatnot.

  • Nika

    Europe is supposed to be more open, but I remember Rule of Rose being banned in the UK (not the rest of Europe I think, but I've never seen the game anywhere) because something about it was indecent or suggestive or whatever it was. To be honest I expected an action like this from the US, but apparently were not that different after all?

    And, of course all killers and sexual predators are bred by video games. Its not like violent tv shows or late night porn has any influence after all :P

  • erhard2

    So having a rape scene in a book, film or any other media is akin to promoting “rape culture”?

    Mind you, this game DIDN'T feature rape at all (as the article clearly states), and if we were to censor all medias on the basis that reading, watching or imagining rapes or other abuses against women directly lead the viewer to reproduce them in real life we should instantly eliminate the Holy Bible, the Iliad, Esiod's Theogony,a great part of greek tragedies, many works of Shakespeare and countless novels, historical records, films, animes, paintings and sculptures which feature rapes or allude to them.

    Going by this logic even reading on the newspaper of a rape could lead someone to reproduce the act and we should go on to censor papers and tvs, but since rape could be induced even from mentions in private conversations we should devise a way to prevent ANYONE from diffusing “rape culture” by speaking of it, even if clearly opposed (he is still mentioning it, you could be influenced!).

    That said, if this logic had any sense (and it hasn't) it should be applied to any kind of violence, thus banning every single work of art, book, film etc which features killing, torturing, any kind of abuse or even psychological act of violences such as bullysm and mobbing. Think what would still stand after this kind of senseless, hypocrital censor-rampage.

  • Jirin

    This kind of crap is ridiculous. Get out of my video games, thought police!

  • Jirin

    Images of rape in fiction do not 'promote rape culture'. Artistic honesty promotes personal honesty, and personal honesty leads to the obvious conclusion that rape culture is bad.

    But, censorship of sexual violence in art only leads to sexual violence being mythologized, which does promote it. You want to reduce sexual violence? Let artists show it honestly.

    And this visual novel doesn't even show sexual violence! There just happens to be a scene that might get misinterpreted that way by the culturally isolated.

    Ban this, ban every film Martin Scorcese ever made. Hell, let's have a good old fashioned book burning.

  • ElTopo

    Europe and Japan tend to be more open towards openly sexual material. Just watch TV over there or some basic advertisments out in the public eye, its like a Tommy Hilfinger ad only with more nudity and they skip the suggestive images and get right to the point.

    Europe and Japan do seem to heavily censor and look down on violence though, which could be seen throughout the 90s and today. Just look at Germany, they're attempting to entirely ban violent and “obscene” video games.

  • morbullets

    i think all that needs to be said has been said… thnks for stealing my thunder guys…. :3 anyways, this is just plain dumb… i'm jumping on erhard2's bandwagon!

  • JeBuS

    The product was being sold in those more culturally conservative regions. Therefore, the developer needed to respect the 'customs' of those regions. Yes, the game was only in the Japanese language, but it was sold in every available country. Therefore, every MS regional office could take a look at it and reject it if they felt the need to.

  • JeBuS

    The product was being sold in those more culturally conservative regions. Therefore, the developer needed to respect the 'customs' of those regions. Yes, the game was only in the Japanese language, but it was sold in every available country. Therefore, every MS regional office could take a look at it and reject it if they felt the need to.

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